Tuesday Tech Tip: Happy New Year, Happy New Learning!

Designed by Freepik.com

Welcome to 2016! We hope that you had a rejuvenating winter break and that you took important time to reconnect with family, friends, and sleep. By now, you are back to school and re-associating yourself with setting the alarm, lesson planning, and keeping up with your students. Over the past 2+ weeks, you may have taken time to reflect on 2015 and set goals for the new year. If that’s the case, how are you doing? Are you on track? Do you like the goals you have set or do you need to tweak them? Goals and resolutions are highly personal. Did you know that making them public and sharing your intentions with others gives you a higher chance of achieving success? It’s true! Try it out. While you're at it, why not consider extending your goals to include technology? There are many opportunities right in our backyard for you to do this.  These include face-to-face, online, and hybrid options. Read on...

Digital Learning Environment Series

Through ERO offered by members of the Office of Instructional Technology

As part of our district vision to provide opportunity & access for all students in the digital age, we are offering a series of workshops during the 2015-2016 school year to help teachers learn how to leverage digital tools to further learning and student achievement. Each session will be a hybrid workshop, with 1.5 hours of face-to-face instruction followed by independent and collaborative work (some in an online format). Co-planning, co-teaching, and working with your Technology & Learning Coach is expected as part of the coursework. Sessions are open to anyone, even those not seeking credit or seeking recertification hours. Credit options are in ERO.
Sign up using our google form: https://goo.gl/forms/Xm9oPCjJNm

Take 3 sessions for .5 credits SRN #20158063401

Take 5 sessions for 1 credit SRN# 20158063501

Take 10 sessions for 2 credits SRN# 20158063601

Courses still available for the rest of the year are:

Using Gamification in the Classroom 01/19/16

Motivating & Managing with Digital Badges for Learning 01/26/16

Showcasing Student Work with Digital Portfolios 02/09/16

Differentiation in the Digital Age 02/23/16

Creating Effective Online Learning Spaces in Schoology 3/15/16

Designing Dynamic Assessments in Schoology 03/22/16

Student-centered Video Projects & Digital Storytelling 04/19/16
Leveraging Learning with YouTube & Video Tools 04/26/16

Creating & Collaborating in Google Apps 5/24/16

Leveraging Learning with More Google Tools 5/31/16

A GIFT from eNet.  Online, through eNet Colorado Start the New Year right! Take an eNet course and you will receive free enrollment in our facilitated 2016 is Your Year to Get Organized course. For a complete January Listing, Click here. Learn about our digital content collections, including resources aligned to K-12 Colorado Academic standards and Curriculum Overview and Instructional Unit Samples as well as mobile app resources.

EdCamps in Colorado Springs and Denver a free “un-conference” committed to reaching educators in public, private, charter, and higher ed environments to share innovative instructional strategies and pioneering technologies that transform education for all students. January 23rd in Colorado Springs February 6th in Denver For those of you who have never gone to an edcamp before, please make a note of the unusual part of the morning where we will build the schedule. edcamp doesn’t believe in paying fancy people to come and talk at you about teaching! At an edcamp, the people attending, or participants, are the ones who who facilitate sessions on teaching and learning! So edcamp won’t succeed without a whole bunch of you wanting to run a session of some kind!  Click here to learn more and to register!

None of those sound right? Perhaps you'd like to learn more on your own terms.  Consider personalizing your professional learning. Read more about PLNs here in a past blog post.  Whatever you decide to do, commit to it and tell someone about what you are doing. Who knows, you may inspire them! For those of you in Cherry Creek Schools, should you want support from our office please do not hesitate to contact us.  Here's to you, here's to 2016, and here's to continued learning....